Firdaus shot in Mumbai

IN A major breakthrough, UP special task force (STF) and Mumbai crime branch sleuths gunned down dreaded criminal Firdaus, wanted in the sensational murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai and seven others in Ghazipur district on November 29 last.

IN A major breakthrough, UP special task force (STF) and Mumbai crime branch sleuths gunned down dreaded criminal Firdaus, wanted in the sensational murder of BJP MLA Krishnanand Rai and seven others in Ghazipur district on November 29 last.

The government had announced a reward of Rs 50,000 each on mafia don Munna Bajrangi and Firdaus, who were named in the massacre. Others named in the case were don-turned MLA Mukhtar Ansari, his brother MP Afzal Ansari, Ansari’s brother-in-law Ataur-rehman and another dreaded gangster Sanjiv Maheshwari alias Jeeva.

Talking to HT on telephone from Mumbai, SSP STF SK Bhagat said they had specific information about Firdaus visiting Malad area of Western Mumbai on Wednesday.

The STF sleuths had tracked down the mobile conversation of Firdaus while he was talking to an associate. As Firdaus asked his friend to come to Malad, the STF team contacted the Kandivali unit of the Mumbai crime branch and sought assistance in trapping the gangster.

A police team led by in-charge of Kandivali unit Pradip Sharma laid a trap on Link Road in Malad. The STF team led by SSP Bhagat and ASP Vijay Bhushan too arrived at the place. Deputy SP Arvind Chaturvedi spotted Firdaus moving near Palm Kot area. The cops swung into action to nab the gangster but the latter reportedly opened fire.

The cops too retaliated and gunned Firdaus down. A .9 mm pistol was recovered from the possession of the criminal.

SSP Bhagat said Firdaus, a native of Sawaiya Hasan village in Oonchahar police station area of Rae Bareli, was registered as a history-sheeter with the local police.

About 19 cases of heinous crime including those of murder, attempt to murder and dacoity were pending against him at various police stations of Lucknow, Kanpur, Rae Bareli, Sultanpur and Ghazipur districts.

Firdaus had played a significant role in the attack on BJP MLA Rai. STF sleuths revealed that Firdaus and other gangsters were staying at Mukhtar Ansari’s Mohammadabad residence in Ghazipur since the plan to eliminate Rai was hatched. The STF sleuths had sent a report in this regard to the government but they did not get the ‘go ahead’ signal to initiate action due to MLA Mukhtar Ansari connections.